People are turning their noses up in disgust at the smell of human waste spread on nearby fields.

The stench in Burford has been so bad people have been refusing to stop the night in the historic town. West Oxfordshire District Council's environmental services department has received many complaints.

The smell lasted several days last week. Similar muck-spreading a year ago also created a stink. Town Mayor Keith Davies: "It comes from human waste which is spread on the field. We suffered seven days from this pungent smell.

"My wife and I wanted to eat out on Saturday night. We went to Chipping Norton just to get out of the town the smell was so awful."

Deputy Mayor David Cohen, who runs the Highway Hotel in the High Street, said: "On Saturday we had a couple in who had been looking for accommodation but decided not to stay in the town because of the smell."

Members of West Oxfordshire District Council have also raised their concerns. Director of environmental services Paul Lankester said: "We are looking at the problem with much urgency. We are examining the council's duty under the Environmental Protection Act to see whether it is a statutory nuisance."

Thames Water spokesman Alice Griffiths confirmed farmers in the Burford area used a commercial by-product from sewage works.

She said: "Any odour should have dispersed by this weekend."

Story date: Friday 15 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.